Beaver trap



Oct. 30 1923. 1,472,683

T. H. SCHEFFER ET AL BEAVER TRAP Filed Feb. 5, 1923 0 o o a 0 0 Patented Oct. 30, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT; ewes.

THEODORE H. SGHEFFER, OF PUYAL-LUP, AND LEO K. COUCH, 0F OLYMPIA, WASH-. INGTON, ASSIGNORS TO ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE OF UNITED STATES OF AMERIGA.

BEAVER TRAP.

Application filed February .5, 1923. Serial No. 617,158.

(FILED UNDER THE ACT OF MARCH 3, 1883, 22 STAT. L., 625.)

To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that Tnnononn H. SGHEFFER and LEO K. COUCH, citizens ofthe United States of America, and employees of the United States Department of Agriculture, residing at Puyallup, Washington, and Olympia, Washington, respectively, have in vented new and useful Improvements in Beaver Traps, of which the following is a specification.

This application is made under the act of March 3, 1883, chapter 143 (22 Stat. 625) and the invention herein described and claimed may be used by the Government of the United States or any of its officers or employees in the prosecution of work for the Government, or by any other person in the United States without payment to us of any royalty thereon.

The invention is a trap designed solely for catching beaver alive and uninjured.

Plainly the efiiciency of any trap depends upon its being so constructed as to adapt itself to the habits of the animal it is designed to capture. This invention conforms to such requirements in that it can may be removed from certain locations, especially where they are proving troublesome, and may be then used to stock a new or depleted range. As far as the inventors.

knowledge goes, no other trap is adapted to this purpose. The trap is modeled somewhat on the lines of the regular double-spring steel trap, but is much larger and the j aws, instead of gripping the beaver by the leg,

meet above the animal and enclose it in a purse of chain-mesh or other netting of metal construction. Y

The invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, which consists of three figures:

mesh netting must be loose so as to belly out somewhat toaccommodate the imprisoned beaver. I

Referring to the drawing, it will be seen that the trap has a base with transverse end bars B and longitudinal grid, or grating bars C. At the two ends offthe base, in the center, are hinged to posts P the rectangular aws E and F that serve to close the pocket within the chain-mesh netting. These jaws are about fifteen inches high, above the base, and are actuated by No. 5 steel trap spring G. The trigger mechanism, consisting of a lever arm H hinged to post I at the outer end of an extension of one of the transverse bars B, a trigger arm M hinged to post K with the lever arm H engaging the trigger arm at the notch. O in post N, and a tri ger pan L at the free end of trigger arm is attached to the base at about one fourth the distance from one hinge of the jaws to the other hinge. Parts jaws is held in this position by the lever arm H hinged to post I of the trigger mechanism; the other, as in the ordinary steel trap, is free. The trap is sprung when the beaver by its tread or weight upon the trigger-pan L depresses the latter so as to release the engagement of the trigger-arm M hinged at post K with the lever-arm H at the notch O in the post N.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A trap comprising a substantially rectangular base member composed of cross-bar grating, posts attached to opposite ends of said base, a pair of U-shaped jaws pivotally mounted on said posts, springs for actuat- 111g said jaws, trigger means attached to the hands and aflix our seals this 5th day of base near one end thereof and adapted to October, A. D. 1922.

releasably hold said jaws in set position,

and a flexible netting attached to said jaws THEODORE SGHEFFER' and to the edges of said base for enclosing LEO COUCH the area ahovesa id'base when the jaws are Witnesses: n moved to closed position. GEO. W. EDGERTON,

In witness whereof we hereunto set our MELVA EDGERTON. 

